


cause i will wait and hope

by kaazkiin



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Domestic Fluff, M/M, crying at chelly having her own tag it's what she deserves, god magic does weird shit huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:14:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28669041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaazkiin/pseuds/kaazkiin
Summary: Hermes knew of the... colourful ways some of his siblings had entered the world, and how Lady Nyx more or less created half her children. That... wasn't a thing any god could do, right? Hermes had other children, all born the old fashioned way. But could Charon...?All the thoughts flitting about in Hermes' mind came screeching to a halt when the child awoke, blinking wide, curious eyes up at him. Her right eye, a warm, golden orange. Her left, a deep, all-consuming purple.Well. Colour Hermes surprised.
Relationships: Charon/Hermes (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 158





	cause i will wait and hope

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this to enable my friend's Charmes hyperfixation lmao
> 
> Palaestra is their Hades OC n through a series of quirky funnyman discussions they came to the conclusion to make her a Charmes fanchild n I'm here for it
> 
> This is staying a oneshot but you can read their fic that expands more on this gay little family;  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/28647462/chapters/70221906
> 
> title is from Marbles by The Amazing Devil cause I'm incapable of thinking of fic titles

Not much surprised Hermes these days. It was a given, really. God of swiftness and all. Hard to be thrown for a loop when you were already several hundred steps ahead of everyone else.

It was this notion that made the sudden weight dropping in Hermes' satchel all the more troubling. Like a stone was tossed inside, it pulled at the strap over his chest, and stunned him enough to slow him down a fraction. Without breaking stride or ruining his pace further - Hermes still had a reputation to uphold, thank you very much, even if no one was around to see his efforts - he pulled the satchel to his front, sparing a quick pet for Chelly before flipping it open.

Hermes didn't realise his wings had slowed to a stop until the ground looked much, much closer than it should have. With a swift beat of his wings, almost forceful enough to send him tumbling into a backwards roll, Hermes managed to right himself, taking care to keep his satchel steady. He almost didn't want to look back inside, wondering for just a moment if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

An infant. Resting in a makeshift cradle of letters and the small, compact forms shades took when Hermes came to collect them. Asleep, thankfully - Hermes didn't know if he could process the demands of a child while trying to wrap his head around what said child was doing in his delivery bag to begin with.

Deciding he'd rather not be mid-air with a mystery baby, Hermes fluttered to the ground, glancing around at his surroundings for answers that wouldn't come. Now that the shock had somewhat worn off, he took a good, proper look at the child who'd interrupted his very busy schedule.

Tan skin, a mess of off-white hair, and the unmistakable fuzz of soft baby feathers adorning her wrists and ankles.

 _Ah_.

That explained half the story. Well, a third of it. Still the question of 'who', on top of the 'how'. Though at this stage, Hermes was much, much more focused on who he'd been with recently to produce any offspring. He was certainly his father's son when it came to libido, but he preferred some form of monogamy when it came to a lasting relationship. And he'd only been with his beloved ferryman for the last-

Hermes froze. From her special side pouch, Chelly lifted herself up to headbutt his forearm, as if sensing his inner turmoil and trying as best as a tortoise could to comfort him.

No. No, surely not.

Hermes knew of the... colourful ways some of his siblings had entered the world, and of how Lady Nyx more or less created half her children. That... wasn't a thing any god could do, right? Hermes had other children, all born the old fashioned way. But could Charon...?

All the thoughts flitting about in Hermes' mind came screeching to a halt when the child awoke, blinking wide, curious eyes up at him. Her right eye, a warm, golden orange. Her left, a deep, all-consuming purple.

Well. Colour Hermes surprised.

* * *

Charon wasn't yet at the dock. Unsurprising, given how early Hermes knew he'd arrived. He knew he had fewer shades than usual too, the small group loitering about the entrance to the Temple of Styx. He'd most definitely be getting an earful for his slacking off later, but any critique on his work performance seemed like such a small issue compared to the squirming bundle of life in his satchel.

Of course, Hermes took pride in his work, and valued the speed it took to get everything done to his satisfaction. But he needed to see Charon as soon as possible. If they somehow managed to spawn a child out of nothing, his other half more than had the right to know about her. Maybe he'd even have an answer as to how she existed at all.

So caught up in his messy thoughts, Hermes didn't notice a shade approach him, resting a hand on his upper arm in an attempt to comfort him. The touch, light as it was, still made Hermes jolt back into the air as if he'd been stung. 

"Ah, forgive me, my incorporeal friend!" He laughed, trying to wave off the shade's concern. "Had my head in the clouds, metaphorically speaking of course. Didn't mean to ignore you lot! Though I'm sure you wouldn't want me chatting your ears off, I'm quite good at that- oh, fancy that, the dear ferryman's here already!"

Sure enough, Charon had pulled his boat up to the dock sometime during Hermes' inner crisis, head tilted at the sight of Hermes and his rather underwhelming number of shades. The presence of the Stygian boatman made said shades shudder and rush to form a single line in front of him, prepared to pay their toll for the privilege of boarding his skiff and entering the Underworld.

"And how are we doing this fine morning or evening, my charming associate?" Hermes asked with a smile, hovering close to give Charon a quick peck on the cheek and take his position by the ferryman's side. The attempt at normalcy felt forced, even to his ears. And to Charon's, if his questioning rumble was anything to go by.

He didn't even make the typical embarrassed groan he tended to do whenever Hermes showed casual affection in front of the shades. Something about messing with the scary image mortals had of him. "I know, I know, bit earlier than usual, even for me! Got something I need to speak with you about after you deliver th- ah, in private, preferably, boss." He added, after Charon made a 'go on' motion with the hand not collecting obols.

Hermes watched Charon tilt his head again, thick, purple smoke trickling from between his exposed teeth and gathering at the wide brim of his hat.

"Nothing so serious, boss, I assure you! Not work related - and no, you get your pretty little head out of the gutter, I should add. You are in the presence of a child." On the outside, Hermes kept his carefree smile on, but in his mind, he was smacking himself for his lack of a brain-to-mouth filter. By the grace of some god, Chelly chose that moment to poke her head out from the satchel, and while the satchel was the exact last place Hermes wanted Charon to turn his attention to at the moment, Charon seemed to accept Chelly as the child in question, and rumbled out an apology to her.

With a soft hum to himself, Charon turned back to the shades, counting the obols in his palm as the last shade paid the fare and took a seat in the skiff. Hermes fluttered to the back of the vessel, perching himself on the edge beside Charon's spot. If, while floating onto the boat himself, Charon noticed the careful way he kept his satchel safe in his lap, he didn't' comment, instead pushing off the dock with a single heave and gliding them all down the Styx.

Rather than risk worrying him further by staying quiet, Hermes jumped right into a story involving Dionysus, a goat, a wedding, and a harpy.

* * *

It'd been a long time since Hermes really took in the sights of the Underworld. The ethereal mockery of the mortal realm that was Elysium, the red-hot charm of Asphodel, Tartarus'... Tartarus. He didn't often need to head this deep into his uncle's domain, unless Zeus required a message to be personally delivered to Hades. And given the brothers' disinterest in one another, that wasn't a common occurrence.

It was nice. Taking some time to breathe. Even if Hermes kept drumming his fingers against the wood of the skiff with an itch to get back on the move, and his mouth refused to slow as he told story after story in rapid succession. Charon listened, as he always did, offering the occasional grunt or nod to indicate Hermes still had his attention.

He almost wished to bring the child out, let her experience the odd beauty of the Underworld too. But he'd rather not risk Charon running his skiff along the rocky shores of Asphodel and dropping them all into the Phlegethon.

Not for a second time, anyway. What a fun accident _that_ had been to explain to Lord Uncle Hades.

By the time the last shade disembarked, Hermes felt ready to bounce off the walls. He already had to stop his leg from bouncing before they made it out of the Temple chambers, lest it kick a hole through the boat, and there was only so long he could twitch his wings before they got sore. Ever the gentleman, Charon took notice of his impatience, and dug his oar into the river to push them off back the way they came.

They'd barely left the dock before a mass of shadows surrounded them, blocking out the mumbling of shades and the odd creaking of Tartarus' halls. A nifty way to travel to the darkest part of the Underworld, Hermes had learned some time ago. He'd long since stopped questioning how things worked down here, particularly when it came to Charon and the Styx. Easier just to accept Charon had enough control of the place to morph it to his will, making travel all the more easier for him.

Hermes held out the arm that didn't have a protective hold on his bag, to run his fingers through the surrounding shadows, and watch as they were absorbed in the void. They felt similar to the smoke Charon emitted, if a bit heavier and colder.

The shadows soon dissipated, and just like that, they were floating toward Charon's little corner of Erebus.

Before Charon could approach his private dock, Hermes was up and off, flitting around to all of his associate's treasures just for something to do, to burn off some of his built up energy. Charon liked counting out his obols after a run, and that was fine, Hermes could wait a little longer. Hopefully.

... Maybe he could convince Charon to speed up the process, because Hermes didn't know how much waiting he had left in him.

A firm grip on his ankle, just above his wings, made Hermes pause by a tall stack of coin pouches on the other side of Charon's space. He often forgot how quick Charon could be if he had reason to move. Stopping Hermes from mentally flying himself in circles appeared to be one of those reasons, and Hermes let himself mentally preen at the knowledge.

" _Grrraagggghh_?" Charon groaned, his gaze piercing.

"Now? I figured you'd want to re-count all your earnings first, but if you insist, boss."

Still holding onto his leg, Charon floated over to the single table and chair pushed over to a corner, dragging Hermes along behind him. Hermes hovered above the table, legs folded with his satchel in his lap, all with Charon's watchful eye on him. The chair creaked under Charon's weight as he settled on it, waiting for Hermes to explain himself.

Hermes fiddled with the tassels on his satchel instead. Even with the extra time to think during the trip, he couldn't come up with a casual way to mention the child. Still stewing on trying to think of a way to drop the bombshell of fatherhood onto Charon, Hermes almost didn't notice Charon leaning closer toward the satchel. He had to resist the urge to yank it away, only remembering to breathe when Charon leaned back with Chelly in his hands.

"You know, old man, sometimes I think you only love me for my tortoise."  
  
Charon stiffened. " _Hhaaaaa_..."

"Well, in any case! No gentle way of saying this, so may as well go all in and show you." Flipping his satchel open, Hermes, as gentle as could be, lifted the sleeping child out and into his arms. The ever-streaming smoke from Charon's maw halted, and wasn't that a worrying reaction. "I was out running my deliveries earlier, making quite good time if I do say so myself! Then, ah, this little one sort of just... appeared."

Letting out a little sneeze, the child opened her eyes, and turned her innocent gaze to Charon. Hermes watched the understanding hit his associate with the force of one of those sentient chariots in Elysium. A small puff of smoke slipped out between Charon's teeth, followed by a confused groan. He hadn't taken his eye off the child after Hermes brought her out, and he could only hope that was a good sign. Charon was hard to read at the best of times, even if Hermes could, for the most part, understand him.

"Really, I have no idea where she came from. You know of my other children, though none of them were born like this, so I'm, ha, I'm at a bit of a loss here." Hermes tried a laugh to break the tension. He wasn't sure if it worked. He hoped it did.

Charon, quiet and unreadable as ever, held a finger out to meet the child's grabby hands. She let out a happy coo, her own blooms of smoke streaming from her mouth as she babbled and tugged at Charon's rings. If it wasn't for that contact holding him in place, Hermes was sure he would've been stress-floating up to the ceiling by now.

"Given the resemblance, I... Well, I figured it only right you should know about her." Hermes waited for Charon to meet his eyes, answering the unspoken question with a small smile. "Say hello to our daughter, I suppose."

Saying it out-loud for the first time felt freeing, almost. As if it made the situation more real than it already was. Really solidified the fact he and his beloved associate somehow created life from nothing. And wasn't that a novel idea for the ferryman of the dead?

In true Hermes fashion, he continued to run his mouth, all before Charon could get a word in.

"I don't expect you to... I don't know, accept her? Not right away at least." The words felt sour, all wrong as they flew from Hermes' mouth, but it was a thought he had to voice, even if the idea of Charon not wanting the child hurt his heart. "I'm more than capable of looking after her myself, or having the old family of mine help out with her. Certainly wouldn't be the first time. I know this is a lot-"

A long, boney finger pressed against Hermes' lips, quite effectively shutting him up.

" _Hrrrgggh_."

"Right, right, getting ahead of myself there."

In lieu of a reply, Charon placed Chelly on top of his hat, and held out his arms. And without thinking, Hermes handed the child over to him, the action coming to him as naturally as flight. Small plumes of smoke rose up to Charon as she laughed, batting at the obols hanging from his neck. Lowering his head, Charon blew a light stream of his own smoke down to meet her, curling it around her face, brushing around the small feathers on her wrists. He let out his own gruff chuckle as she tried to grab at it.

Hermes floated closer, tucking himself in against Charon's side and peering over his shoulder as he tended to the child. Seeing him take so quickly to her brought a grin to his face. "You're pretty good with kids, huh, boss?"

Charon brought Chelly down to see the child, holding her a safe distance from unsteady, curious hands. The tortoise, with her endless patience, tolerated the action. " _Gaaaarrrrgghh_."

"Least she's the only one, hey? Can't imagine what it was like to look after your brothers when they were this small."

Without disturbing her as she drifted back off into slumber, Charon adjusted her in his hold, so she'd sleep more comfortably with her head in the crook of his arm. He lifted Chelly up for Hermes to take, waiting for him to tuck her into the neck of his scarf before cupping Hermes' cheek and pulling him in closer. Charon nuzzled at his jaw, in his own version of a kiss. With his earlier nerves long since forgotten, Hermes leaned into the touch, wings shivering as he tried to prevent them from doing little happy flaps.

"I'm taking this as acceptance you know, old man." Hermes said with a grin, wrapping an around around Charon's broad shoulder. "Hope you know what you're getting yourself into, since you're stuck with us now."

Charon leveled him with a look, and for someone who couldn't make any facial expressions, it said a hell of a lot. Hermes almost couldn't remember why he'd been so worried about Charon's reaction to the child in the first place, if he was getting the 'that was very much a dumb thing you just said but I still care for you' face.

Hermes responded by planting a kiss on Charon's nose, trying not to splutter too loud when a heart-shaped plume got blown back at him. He gave Charon a thump to the brim of his hat for that move. "'Spose we should give her a name. I got a bit caught up in wondering how you'd react to her and the whole idea of fatherhood, I didn't think of any myself. Do you have any in mind, my wonderful associate?"

At that, Charon fell quiet. Trails of smoke pooled out from his teeth and around his jaw as he thought. But Hermes was patient, so he waited, occupying himself by giving Chelly much deserved scritchies and resisting the urge to kick his legs out.

The weight of Charon's arm curling around his side brought Hermes back to attention. " _Hrraa ghhhrrrraaaa_?" Charon asked, bonking the side of his head against Hermes'.

Hermes pushed back against the touch, tucking his wing against Charon's neck. "Huh. Quite like the sound of that one!" He turned his attention to the sleeping girl in Charon's arm, a small hand fisted into Charon's robes. "Palaestra. Has a nice ring to it."

For someone who never seemed to be surprised by anything, Hermes found himself quite enjoying this one. Hovering there, curled up in Charon's embrace, Chelly nudging at his chin, and their mystery child sound asleep by his side, felt very, very right.

**Author's Note:**

> if you got the Skyrim reference open your window I'm waiting there to kiss you on the mouth
> 
> also this is the first fic I've finished in like years n I finished it at 1:30am without a beta reader so boy I hope it's decent !


End file.
